Enhanced reality tours now on offer at the Roman Theatre Museum in Cartagena

Special goggles transport visitors to the 1st century BC in the Roman city of Carthago Nova

A new project to design and provide virtual reality tours at the Roman Theatre Museum in Cartagena, transporting visitors back to the heyday of the arena in the 1st century BC, is now complete, and users of the system are already enjoying this new experience.

The special goggles supplied to visitors enable them to see a reconstruction of the building in its entirety, and the 360-degree images are completed by audio commentaries in Spanish and English explaining the history and architecture of the theatre which stood near the centre of the city of Carthago Nova.

Designed and developed by the company Imageen in collaboration with the Roman Theatre Museum and the port authority of Cartagena, the technology uses enhanced reality and virtual reality to improve still further the enjoyment and educational aspects of a visit to the site, and Miriam Guardiola, the minister for Tourism and Culture in the regional government, describes it as being “unique in Spain” as an example of the contribution which new technology can make to the world of culture.

In terms of practicalities, there are two ways in which members of the public see use this innovation, one being to hire the virtual reality goggles from the museum at a cost of 10 euros (or as an inclusive element of the guided tours which are held every Saturday and Sunday at 11.30. Alternatively, the “Imageen-Cartagena” app can be downloaded onto mobile phones and tablets at a cost of just 2.50 euros.

During tours of the theatre, there are “virtual viewing points” clearly marked, at which the goggles allow visitors to see the 21st century reality combined with the virtual one, presenting a hyper-real means of appreciating the semi-circular stands, the stage and its façade and the portico gallery, which surrounded a garden area and was one of the most distinctive elements of Roman theatre design.

Another element of the system is that an explanation is given not only of the theatre during Roman times but also of how it has survived the intervening two thousand years or so. In addition, explanations are given of everyday life in the theatre of Carthago Nova, and a 2-minute informative video includes a virtual “fly-through”.

It is worth remembering that the Museo Teatro Romano de Cartagena is the most visited museum in the Region of Murcia, last year attracting almost 222,000 visitors, 8.7 per cent more than the year before.

Entry fees (without virtual reality glasses but including an English language audio guide) usually cost 6 euros per person (5 euros with reductions, 3 euros for schoolchildren and with further discounts for group bookings).

The most important visitor attraction in Cartagena

The Roman Theatre Museum is the jewel in the crown of Cartagena, and the most visited museum in the whole of the Murcia Region, a beautifully structured museum with an impressively restored Roman Theatre at its heart, and if you only have time to visit one historical structure in Cartagena, this would be the recommendation.